Louis and Tawny 7: Here's Looking At You
by tdls
Summary: Continuation. Louis and Tawny are going to their tenth reunion. Based on both the series and my previous stories. Tried to sneak in some meta-reflections on the series itself. (Complete)
1. Chapter 1: Heading Back

Obvious disclaimer: I don't own Even Stevens. Nope.

* * *

"You ready?" Louis asked with a smile as he stood at the doorway.

"Yes, my love." Tawny walked up and gave Louis a kiss. They joined hands and headed out of their modest Bay Area apartment. Today was the day they would head back to Sacramento to attend their tenth high school reunion and then celebrate their fifth anniversary – modestly, as they liked it, amongst their families. They had gone back to Sacramento now and then, of course, but this time, they knew it would be different. They would be traveling back to their past, not only to celebrate it and revisit it for its own sake, but also to celebrate their present in the place where it had all begun. They would be traveling back to a past that seemed so distant, but that they knew they ultimately owed the happiness of their present to.

* * *

Tawny had completed her PhD in comparative literature the year before and landed a tenure-track position as an assistant professor. Of course, she wasn't _just_ the literary scholar and critic, though she had become a formidable one at that. She was the public intellectual, with her current affairs commentary making it into numerous periodicals; she was the standout polyglot, who had begun freelance translating in grad school; she was still the tireless political activist, who had been active in Occupy Oakland and was still a fixture at local rallies. And, of course, she was Louis's loving wife, who never failed to make time for him and leave him in no doubt that, in the midst of everything, he was always the most important part of her life. It never ceased to amaze Louis how she managed to keep up all these engagements with such tirelessness and determination. She always told him that it was all thanks to him – him and his love never ceasing to inspire and motivate her – and after all these years, he knew that it had to be true. Tawny never ceased to provide the proof for it herself, day after day.

Louis, on the other hand, had founded a start-up cooperative with a group of college friends. He had found his niche as the precocious engineering talent ever since high school, something that he maintained and developed further through college. But he, too, wasn't _just_ the engineer and tech entrepreneur. All these years with Tawny had shaped him profoundly as an individual, made him more thoughtful, conscientious, socially aware. Tawny had taught him the beauty of literature already in junior high; he had begun by reading her poetry, then reading classics that she introduced him to. Ever since, he had stood out in the engineering crowd as one who "appreciated the beautiful things in life," as Tawny had put it once. Moreover, he had become influenced by Tawny's ideals, not by adopting them uncritically, but as the cumulative result of all the discussions they had, in which she invited him to think through, question, and debate all the things she introduced him to. The result was a bond between them that was twice as powerful: the bond not only of a loving relationship, but also of a companionship of shared convictions, a camaraderie of common cause.


	2. Chapter 2: Memories

Louis and Tawny were seated on a park bench in Sacramento. This was the spot they had visited countless times during junior high and high school, where they would talk, laugh, and explore each other's hearts. And they both knew, as soon as they had reached Sacramento, that this was the spot they wanted to revisit before anything else.

They sat in silence, deep in contemplation, letting the memories flow inside their heads and crystallize, little by little, into thoughts and feelings. Thoughts and feelings, of course, that they would share with each other, as they had always done. There was nothing more fitting that they could do at this spot than to talk, laugh, and explore each other's hearts once more.

"Tawny," Louis finally broke the silence. "There are… There are just so many feelings to express right now." He paused, placing utmost care into every word that he uttered. "But if there's one feeling that predominates, it's gratitude, profound gratitude. Gratitude for having been with you all these years. It's been 15 years since we first got together in seventh grade, Tawny."

There was a strangely pleading look in Louis's eyes, though he knew he didn't have to plead with Tawny. Pleading with her was a thing of the distant past, maybe 15 years ago. And yet…

Louis continued. "And yet the gratitude gives way to disbelief when I think about how it could have all been possible. Think about it, Tawny. I was just an immature little troublemaker, and you were the amazing person that you have always been. To think that I got you, and that I'm the only guy you've ever been with for these 15 years… And to think of the sacrifice you made, all the relationships you never had, how you even passed on the chance to attend an arts conservatory just to remain with me. You saw something in me that no one else did, something lovable and full of potential, something worth the sacrifice. And over all these years, you've turned it into reality. It's because of you that I've come to be the person that I am. Your sacrifice hasn't been in vain, Tawny."

Louis held back the tears. He no longer cried as profusely out of love as he used to, and, more than ever, he knew that now was not the time, nor the place.

Instead, he forced a smile. "Forgive me, Tawny. I know you don't like it when I place you on a pedestal. But… But there's still the little boy inside me that looks up at you, worships you, and whose heart starts racing every time you turn your beautiful face in my direction. Because even after all these years, you're still the finest, prettiest, and smartest woman I've ever met and will ever meet. And I guess that makes me the luckiest guy on this planet."

Louis could feel the tears trying to force their way out. Instead, he let out a chuckle, drowning the tears in it. He knew that now was not the time, nor the place.

"Oh, Louis." Tawny had been looking intently into Louis's eyes the whole time, not moving an inch. She now lowered her eyes, still gathering her thoughts. Louis could picture her stepping down from the pedestal that he had placed her on, joining him where he was, and taking his hands in hers. It had always been this way.

"Louis," Tawny said again. "I myself sometimes wonder how these 15 magical years could have been possible. And the answer is obvious. It was the power of your love, Louis. Ever since the day I saw the little boy smiling up at me after he fell off the flagpole, you've added a magical quality to my life. I could have never imagined that someone could love me so much, and make me love him so much in return, at that tender young age. But you made me feel it, the power of your love."

Tawny continued. "I could feel it every time you pulled me back into the spot in your heart that you had reserved just for me. Every time you kept me a part of your life, a part of you. I could feel it as I saw you change and become a different person because of me. Every time you showed how much I meant to you, you made yourself mean so much to me. Every time you let yourself be inspired, you inspired me in equal measure. Your love inspired me to accomplish things that I couldn't have thought I would accomplish. It's because of you that I've come to be the person that I am. Your love hasn't been in vain, Louis."

Tawny held back the tears. She knew that now was not the time, nor the place. Instead, she smiled. "I'll never know what other relationships I might have had or what other paths I might have taken. But what I do know is that no one, no one on this earth could have given me what you've given me all these years. Remember what I said to you in that tape? As long as I live, I'm never going to meet anybody like you. I never have and I'm never going to, Louis."

A tear forced its way out of Louis's eye. Tawny wiped it away before it could flow down his cheek. Her smile widened. "And you know what? There's still the little girl inside me that marvels at how someone could love me so much, whose heart laughs with delight whenever I see the enchanted look on your face. And the little girl just can't resist loving the guy that loves her so much."

Louis chuckled, drowning his tears away. "It's simple, then," he said. "I'm your little boy and you're my little girl. We always end up even in the end, don't we?"

Tawny gave Louis a meaningful smile. "Even Steven, as they like to say," she said.


	3. Chapter 3: At the Reunion

Louis and Tawny arrived early at the reunion. Principal Wexler stood at the check-in, monitoring the proceedings. He seemed to have aged ten years since the last time they saw him.

"Ah, and this must be Mr. and Mrs. Stevens," he said as Louis and Tawny walked up, a touch of fondness in his voice.

"It's _Dr. Dean_ and Mr. Stevens, sir," Louis corrected. He gave Tawny a sideways glance. "I myself insisted that we keep it that way. The great Tawny Dean…will always be known as the great Tawny Dean, and nothing else." Louis could feel Tawny's hand pulling on his, as if telling him to shush. He smiled at her.

"Well then," Principal Wexler said. "I'm delighted to see that you've moved on to bigger and better things, both of you." He gave Louis the stern schoolmaster's look. "Especially you, Stevens." They shared a laugh.

* * *

Louis and Tawny sat down at an empty table. It was still early days. Twitty and Tom had texted to let them know that they were on their way.

Louis settled down into his chair. "Ahhh," he almost instinctively let out a sigh of relief. "Well, I must say this isn't how I pictured our tenth reunion," he said pleasantly. "The way I pictured it back in the day, I was still the prankster who had never grown up, and you–"

"And I was the fashion designer married to some Italian guy," Tawny completed for him, somewhat impatiently. Louis had told her the story many times before. "I still can't believe you thought I would go into fashion design," she said teasingly. "Honestly, what did you take me for, Louis?"

Louis chuckled. "I don't think you would have made a bad fashion designer, my love, if your fashion tastes are anything to go by," he said. "Besides, the Italian part wasn't too far-fetched, was it? I mean, you speak the language, among the six other languages that you speak."

"Um, Louis," Tawny said, trying to assume a serious tone. "Don't embarrass me like you did in front of Wexler, okay? I didn't come here to listen to you brag about me in front of everyone."

Louis was looking intently into Tawny's eyes, still smiling. "I'm your little boy, remember? At least let me be that way just for tonight," he said softly. He leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. "Here's looking at you, Tawn."

Tawny smiled and looked deeply into Louis's eyes. She could feel it once more, the power of it all, the little boy inside Louis awakening the little girl inside her. The little boy and the little girl who used to walk the halls of this school back in the day, hand in hand, and came to love each other so much. It was then that Tawny understood, Louis's desire to be her little boy again, just for tonight, and the desire that she now felt to be his little girl again, just for tonight. She knew that she wanted to indulge and go along with his immaturity, just for tonight, as she had done so many times back then. And she knew that she trusted him, just as she had trusted him back then that he would become the mature, thoughtful, conscientious person that he was now. She knew that the same love that was now turning Louis into the little boy was also what had turned him into the mature, thoughtful, conscientious person that he had become. Such was the power of his love.

She leaned in and gently kissed him on the lips. "And here's looking at you, Lou."


End file.
